What is Northamptonshire County Council's former chief executive up to now?

Northamptonshire county council's former chief executive is now in an executive role at a finance company.

Dr Paul Blantern left the £185,000 a year post at the helm of One Angel Square in October, shortly after announcing plans to shut 21 libraries across the county in a desperate budget-saving bid.

There is no mention of Dr Blantern's role as chief executive of Northamptonshire County Council on his new biography.

During his seven-year tenure at the council, Dr Blantern masterminded the authority's Next Generation model, intended to move council services over to a series not-for-profit companies to save money.

But the council simply did not have "the funding, the equity or the capital resources," to set up the scheme according to its finance chief, which has now been canned.

Dr Blantern was criticised by Government inspector Max Caller over his handling of the financial collapse. His departure, described as by "mutual consent" at the time, saw Dr Blantern earn a payout of more than £100,000.

It has now emerged that the former council boss has landed a role as chief execuitve officer for the finance company Obillex, which helps smaller companies acquire lending.

His biography states: "Paul has worked as a leader across organisations, for example establishing and was inaugural MD (managing director) of LGSS, one of the largest shared services ventures in UK local public sector."

LGSS is effectively the company set up to run back office functions at Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire County Councils.

The biography goes on to state Dr Blantern, a PhD scientist, began his career in the water industry, before taking on a variety of "change programmes".

These, it states included roles at Network Rail and as the chair of a Government taskforce on libraries.

However, his position at Northamptonshire County Council is not mentioned - except for a nod to his former role "as CEO of a large public authority."